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Vuelta - Stage 11 (ITT)

Big day in the GC today, can Froome put enough time into the opposition to take a nice lead into the mountains? How well will Contador do and can Rodriguez and Valverde limit their losses? Will Gesink pull a blinder and start to make a move up the standings?

I've made my four transfers for today, had originally planned to make three but decided to bring in Talanksy after dropping him over the weekend (stupid me). I've given up all hope of winning the bike so here's my team:

Tony Martin (in for Degenkolb)
Contador (in for Davis)
Froome (in for Bennati)
Viviani
Talansky (in for Meersman)
Castroviejo
Quintana
Bouhanni
Marczynski

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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25 comments

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JAndrewHill | 12 years ago
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Aaaaggghhhhh
All my stzr itt guys did next to nowt. Waste of transfers. Well jrod is back in for martin tomorrow. #upset

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livestrongnick | 12 years ago
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100 points i think. Very poor day after yesterdays recovery  20

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drheaton | 12 years ago
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Oh well, that's Froome's hopes gone. I really thought he could win this race but instead of being an exciting attacking rider like Contador he's turned out to be more of a Wiggins, a big engine that can't handle real accelerations or quick changes of pace. I don't know if he's tired or whether the three Spaniards are just working him over or what, but either way he'll have to pull something out of the bag to beat Contador and Rodriguez now.

Fantasy wise, I did ok, hoping kessiakoff and intxausti are rare picks but my team is so obvious that I think plenty of people will have the same or better riders, expecting to drop more places  20

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silas chime replied to drheaton | 12 years ago
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drheaton wrote:

Oh well, that's Froome's hopes gone. I really thought he could win this race but instead of being an exciting attacking rider like Contador he's turned out to be more of a Wiggins, a big engine that can't handle real accelerations or quick changes of pace. I don't know if he's tired or whether the three Spaniards are just working him over or what, but either way he'll have to pull something out of the bag to beat Contador and Rodriguez now.

Fantasy wise, I did ok, hoping kessiakoff and intxausti are rare picks but my team is so obvious that I think plenty of people will have the same or better riders, expecting to drop more places  20

I still think Froome's got a chance but he needs to win a stage or 2 for time bonuses......they're the difference in the race so far I think.The so called 'track stop' the other day done him no favours either.

The longer more attritional mountain stages will favour him more than Purito....although the climate favours the 3 Spaniards(obviously!!).

I'm not buying the 3 against one though....not when Froome has Porte,Uran and Henao in his team.

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drheaton replied to silas chime | 12 years ago
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silas chime wrote:

I still think Froome's got a chance but he needs to win a stage or 2 for time bonuses......they're the difference in the race so far I think.The so called 'track stop' the other day done him no favours either.

The longer more attritional mountain stages will favour him more than Purito....although the climate favours the 3 Spaniards(obviously!!).

I'm not buying the 3 against one though....not when Froome has Porte,Uran and Henao in his team.

From what little I've seen Froome seems to get isolated very quickly by Contador and Rodriguez with quick changes of acceleration unlike at the TdF where Wiggins and Froome stuck together against the likes of Nibali, VdB and Evans. I don't know if even Uran, Henao and Porte are of the caliber needed to stick with Contador when he goes dancing up the mountain.

I can see Froome losing more time today to Rodridguez/Valverde as it's a short climb that Rodriguez will go flying up and I'm not sure Froome will be able to go with him.

My money is on Contador now, Rodriguez second and potentially Valverde third. Froome will need to do something special to overtake either of Contador and Rodriguez but I think he's just too tired.

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chrisdstripes replied to drheaton | 12 years ago
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drheaton wrote:

Oh well, that's Froome's hopes gone. I really thought he could win this race but instead of being an exciting attacking rider like Contador he's turned out to be more of a Wiggins, a big engine that can't handle real accelerations or quick changes of pace.(

Ah, thats a little harsh, no? I think he is an attacking rider, more of a Contador than a Wiggins, but he's also a very tired one, and still only 16 seconds off the lead. He's a week away from becoming the first British rider ever to make the podium in three grand tours, and I think his best years are still to come.

I agree though that he doesn't look like he has it in him to win this. But Purito couldn't handle the big hills last year, and no-one really knows Contador's form, so I'm still hoping. A lot could change on Saturday when they have to go up more than one hill on the same day for a change...

(PS - the guy is from Kenya - he can cope with the heat just as well as the Spaniards - as he proved last year. If he falls away it'll be down to the TdF, and maybe the early season illnesses, not the weather).

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TERatcliffe26 | 12 years ago
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Thats what is called a fail!

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STEVESPRO 79 | 12 years ago
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When the likes of Purito and Valverde beat the likes of Martin,Castroviejo and Talansky in a ITT such as this,then I have to question why I bother to play this game.....Its not as if the three that I have mentioned have been working hard over the last 12 days or so...39k with a little lump in the middle...Tony Martin hang your head in shame.....  14

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Gkam84 | 12 years ago
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BALLS. I had Intxausti ready to put in and thought, nah, I'll stick Heano in  20

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TheBigMong | 12 years ago
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Now they're saying Purito will stay in red by :01.

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simon F | 12 years ago
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GC:-

1 101 RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin KAT 40h 26' 15''
2 201 CONTADOR, Alberto STB + 1''
3 181 FROOME, Christopher SKY + 16''
4 9 VALVERDE, Alejandro MOV + 59''
5 161 GESINK, Robert RAB + 2' 27''
6 107 MORENO, Daniel KAT + 2' 54''
7 19 ROCHE, Nicolas ALM + 3' 39''
8 91 TALANSKY, Andrew GRS + 4' 08''
9 168 TEN DAM, Laurens RAB + 4' 22''
10 166 MOLLEMA, Bauke RAB + 5' 10''

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simon F | 12 years ago
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J-Rod keeps the lead. Alberto at 1" and Froome at 16"

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Wig_Billy | 12 years ago
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Wish I'd saved a couple of transfers now.  2

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simon F | 12 years ago
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1 31 Kessiakoff 52:36
2 201 Contador + 17
3 181 Froome + 39
4 9 Valverde + 1:08
5 4 Intxausti + 1:09
6 185 Porte + 1:15
7 101 Rodriguez + 1:16
8 155 Meyer + 1:17
9 91 Talansky + 1:24
10 2 Castroviejo + 1:34
11 141 Martin + 1:39
12 161 Gesink + 1:42
13 211 De_Gendt + 1:50
14 41 Gilbert + 1:57
15 107 Moreno + 2:02
16 177 Machado + 2:04
17 12 Bouet + 2:05
18 162 Boom + 2:06
19 182 Flecha + 2:16
20 168 Ten_Dam + 2:20

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simon F | 12 years ago
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At the second checkpoint :-
1 31 Kessiakoff 35:42
2 201 Contador + 2
3 181 Froome + 18
4 4 Intxausti + 27
5 9 Valverde + 37
6 185 Porte + 41
7 155 Meyer + 53
8 101 Rodriguez + 56
9 211 De_Gendt + 59
10 2 Castroviejo + 1:00
11 141 Martin + 1:12
12 91 Talansky + 1:12
13 177 Machado + 1:17
14 161 Gesink + 1:19
15 41 Gilbert + 1:27
16 106 Menchov + 1:31
17 107 Moreno + 1:32
18 19 Roche + 1:32
19 12 Bouet + 1:33
20 168 Ten_Dam + 1:33

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drheaton | 12 years ago
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Some cracking times from the likes of Kessiakoff and Intxausti, shame about Talanksy though, was hoping for him to be higher up.

Should be a close run thing between Contador and Froome, from the commentary Froome sounds tired, is anyone watching? How does he look?

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TheBigMong | 12 years ago
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I'll be gutted if we get rain for the late starters.  20

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simon F | 12 years ago
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At the finish, after 101 finished :-

1 155 Meyer 53:53
2 2 Castroviejo + 17
3 141 Martin + 22
4 162 Boom + 49
5 182 Flecha + 59
6 18 Riblon + 1:17
7 122 Bodnar + 1:21
8 23 Cesar_Veloso + 1:30
9 212 Keizer + 1:34
10 164 Clement + 1:50
11 108 Smukulis + 2:09
12 59 Piedra + 2:21
13 145 Rabon + 2:49
14 14 Kadri + 2:50
15 102 Brutt + 2:55
16 158 Teklehaimanot + 2:58
17 29 Toribio + 3:11
18 81 Jeannesson + 3:14
19 69 Sijmens + 3:17
20 92 Dekker + 3:17

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drheaton | 12 years ago
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Martin around 20 seconds down at the second check although I always expected him to be down at the top of the hill, hopefully he can power to the finish and beat Meyer's time.

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livestrongnick | 12 years ago
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1.Meyer 53:53
2.Castroviejo 17secs
3.Boom 49secs
4.Flecha 59secs

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drheaton | 12 years ago
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Castroviejo currently leading at the finish line but his first check time has been beaten by Keizer (1 sec) and Boom (18 secs). Bodnar has just finished and is currently second over a minute down on Castroviejo.

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livestrongnick | 12 years ago
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1 eye on the next 2 stages  26

Tony Martin (in for Degenkolb)
Contador (in for Davis)
Froome (in for Swift)
Viviani
Talansky (in for Nocentinni)
Bouhanni
Meersman
Florencio
Astraloza

Wanted C Meyer but couldn't justify the cost!  39

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ray silvester | 12 years ago
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I'm also hoping for a Martin off day  19

although two of my DS' will score teammate bonus' if he wins.

Boom
Froome(for Rojas)
Contador(for Degenkolb)
DeGendt(for Bennati)
Bodnar(for Bouhanni)
Clarke
Talansky
Terpstra
Steegmans

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Wig_Billy | 12 years ago
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Gesink
Froome
Contador
Viviani
Marczynski
Talansky
Bouhanni
Meersman
Kreder

I was umming and ahhing over Martin or Gesink right up until the deadline. Common sense said Martin but my instinct said Gesink, and my instincts have been pretty good for the past couple of stages, so that's what I went with. And if it doesn't work out, the extra credits mean I'm in a more flexible position for tomorrow.

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giff77 | 12 years ago
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This will be me then. Everything now crossed. Forgot about taking ;-rod out for Martin. Now hoping Martin hasan off day  19
Alberto Contador (SAX)
Christopher Froome (SKY)
Elia Viviani (LIQ)
Joaquin Rodriguez (KAT)
Andrew Talansky (GRM)
Gianni Meersman (LOT)
Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ)
Javier Moreno (MOV)
Xavier Florencio (KAT)

Edit: I take that back. Suddenly realised I could go back in. J - rod now out. T Martin now in.hopefully it will work out for me and I won't be stitched up by the tt gods

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